Former cafeteria could become greenspace for apartment tenants

The Morehouse Parish School Board has agreed to formally consider a proposal to re-advertise bids for the selling of an old, empty building it owns.

By Andrew Bell

Bastrop Daily Enterprise - Bastrop, LA

By Andrew Bell

Posted Aug. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 1, 2012 at 12:17 AM

By Andrew Bell

Posted Aug. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 1, 2012 at 12:17 AM

BASTROP, La.

The Morehouse Parish School Board has agreed to formally consider a proposal to re-advertise bids for the selling of an old, empty building it owns.

The board gave the OK during Tuesday evening's committee meeting.

Representing City of Bastrop Development Inc., Vicki Carpenter spoke to the board about the organization's desire to purchase the building that's adjacent to the former Bastrop High School on South Washington Street.

The plan is to convert the cafeteria, built in the 1960s, into a garden/greenhouse, she explained.

The former school reopened as apartments for seniors in 2011 after extended salvage and renovation work funded by a series of local, state and federal grants.

Carpenter described that project as a dream come true, and said they have another dream: “We'd like to make it (cafeteria) into a greenspace” for the apartments' residents.

“Instead of looking at an eyesore they could see something pretty and be in the outdoors,” she said.

The one-story, 7,200 square-foot building sits aback from the apartments by about 20 feet.

The school board had previously advertised the building for sale at the price of $41,000, but no prospective bids were received.

Under state law concerning public institutions, it can rebid at 85 percent value of the original bid, meaning the new price would be listed at $34,850.

The board agreed to recommend that the proposal be presented at next Thursday's regular board meeting for a possible vote.

The language included that the building could be sold for the strict purpose to “complement” tenants in the apartments.